Supporting the Fourth Champion
by Modestdeathcab
Summary: AU Set During Goblet of Fire. After a rejection from Cho Chang, Harry decides to take friend Ginny Weasley to the Yule Ball. He is confused, however, when he begins to develop feelings for his best friends sister.
1. Smile Like You Mean It

Disclaimer – I don't own Harry Potter nor any of the characters. I make absolutely NO money from this work of fanfiction.

Foreword:

While this IS an AU Fanfiction, I will be keeping many things as canon as possible. Harry will still deal with the other tasks in the Tournament, Cedric will probably still die, and Voldemort will DEFINITELY still return. It is my wish to maybe even continue this story after Harry's fourth year. I think it would be very interesting to show how different Harry's fifth year had been if he'd had someone like Ginny to lean on. Maybe Sirius wouldn't have died... who knows? If you like this chapter, let me know in the review and I'll go ahead and keep writing. If not, well I'll probably keep writing anyway, I just want you to like it. :D

Chapter One – Smile Like You Mean It

After being rejected by Cho, Harry walked dully up to the common room. Entering, he looked around and to his surprise he saw Ron sitting ashen-faced in a distant corner. Ginny was sitting with, talking to him in what seemed to be a low, soothing voice.

"What's up, Ron?" said Harry, joining them.

Ron looked up at Harry, a sort of blind horror on his face.

"Why did I do it?" he said wildly. "I don't know what made me do it!"

"What?" said Harry.

"He – er – just asked Fleur Delacour to go to the ball him," said Ginny.

She looked as though she was fighting back a smile, but she kept patting Ron's arm sympathetically.

Harry stared at Ron blankly, "You what?"

"I don't know what made me do it!" Ron gasped, beginning his tale. Ginny, unable to hold it back anymore, started to smile, causing Harry to look up at her.

The rest of Ron's story was drowned out by a Harry's sudden realization. "Ginny," he said breathlessly.

"What?" Ginny asked as her and Ron's eyes both snapped to him. Ron had stopped talking mid-sentence and now stared at Harry. Harry was staring at Ginny, mentally kicking himself for not having seen it before. She would be the perfect person to go to the Ball with. He already knew here, so asking her wouldn't be near as awkward as asking a semi-stranger like Cho had been.

"Harry?" Ginny asked staring back at him. He hadn't stopped looking at her since he had said her name so softly.

Harry smiled at her and she blushed, "Ginny," he started. "Do you want to go to the Ball with me?"

Ron gaped. Ginny blushed more furiously than ever before. Harry, meanwhile, just smiled at his own brilliant idea.

As soon as the sentence had left Harry's mouth, Ginny's heart had begun to soar, but as realization hit her, it dropped suddenly 30,000 feet and smashed into the Giant Squid.

"Harry-" Ginny began, but she didn't know how to finish. She began to tear up and the smile suddenly left Harry's face.

"Someone else's already asked you haven't they?" He said, a depressing tone seeping into his every word. Ginny just nodded as a tear finally escaped and cascaded down her face.

"Oh, Harry!" She said, "I am _so_ sorry! I-" Her words got cut off as Harry waved his hand, trying to mime it wasn't a big deal. He didn't trust himself to speak. Having been rejected twice in less than twenty minutes had left him feeling quite empty.

"'S okay," he finally grunted. Ron looked back and forth between them, his face changing colors as he changed emotions, sad for Harry, furious at Harry, angry at Ginny, still furious at Harry. He finally settled on just feeling bad for Harry as he saw his best friends face.

Ginny, also seeing Harry's face, broke out into sobs and dashed from the common room, slamming the portrait of the Fat Lady as she blindly made her way towards the grounds.

Harry sat with Ron in the common room, both of them telling each other about the night's rejections. Hermione soon came in, and Ron made a not-so-subtle and not-so-kind play for her, but Harry barely listened to Hermione's heated rejection. Feeling miserable at the day's events, he decided to head on up to bed in an attempt to end the day before it somehow got even worse.

Ginny, however, was wide-awaked and sitting at a large tree by the Great Lake. She'd stopped crying by the time she had reached the grounds, but her tear-stained face gave her away to anyone who saw her.

Her thoughts drowning in Harry, Ginny didn't notice the footsteps approaching from behind. "Ginny?"

Ginny spun around and found her self face-to-shins with Neville Longbottom, her date for the dance. "Oh – Neville. Er – Hi," she finished lamely, turning back around to continue staring out at the Lake.

Neville frowned, he could plainly see that she had been crying, but he didn't exactly know what to do.

"Erm – Ginny?" Neville began cautiously. Ginny turned around to look at him again. "Er – Are you – Are you okay?" Ginny stared at him blankly.

"Fine." She said sharply, her voice on the verge of cracking. "Why do you ask?"

Neville motioned to her face and Ginny suddenly realized that he could tell she had been crying only minutes ago. "Oh," she said lamely, "it's nothing. I'm fine."

Ginny turned back around and Neville's mind began to race. He was suddenly blaming her tears all on himself. She didn't want to go the ball with him, he thought wildly, she probably only said yes out of pity! Neville's thoughts spun out of control as he found more and more reasons for Ginny's tears.

"You don't want to go to the Ball with me, do you?" Neville asked blandly, tears springing to his own eyes. He wiped them away furiously as she turned around for a third time, a bewildered look on her still splotchy and red face.

"What?" Ginny said. "Why would you think _that_?"

"Well," Neville began, beginning to feel stupid now that he realized that this wasn't why she was crying. "I just asked you out this morning, and now I find you crying…. I just thought that…." Neville drifted off, looking ashamed at himself.

Ginny's face softened. "Neville that's not why I'm crying. If I'm honest, then yes it has to do with the Yule Ball, but it is definitely not because I'm going with you."

This time it was Neville's face which looked bewildered and confused. "I don't get it." He said simply. "If it's about the Ball, how is not about me?"

Ginny bit her lip, debating on what to tell him. She knew that Harry asking her out wouldn't stay quiet for long, the common room had been pretty full when it had happened. Rumor's would soon be flying all over Hogwarts about her rejection. This thought brought tears back to her eyes, but she blinked them away, deciding to focus on the problem at hand. I'll just tell him the truth, she thought, it's better he hears it from me than some random first year or Slytherin.

"Harry asked me to Ball," she said quietly. Neville suddenly understood. He, like everyone, knew how much Ginny loved Harry. He also knew, however, that Ginny was far too nice to abandon Neville after she had already agreed to go with him, which would have forced her to say no to Harry, no matter how much it killed her inside.

Neville smiled slightly at Ginny, she was easily the kindest, most caring person he had ever met, and she more than deserved to be happy. Even if it meant he would have to go and ask someone like Eloise Midgen to the ball.

"Ginny." He said, forcing her to look up at him. She frowned slightly at his smiling face. "Ginny, you should go with Harry."

Ginny was shocked. She was sure she'd misunderstood him. "Wh-What?" She asked, staring up at Neville's smiling face. "I- I can't. I already told you I'd go!"

Neville continued to smile. "Well I just decided that I'd rather go with someone else, sorry." He smiled again, and she knew he was only saying that so that she could be off the hook of going with him. A small smile appeared on her face.

"Neville you don't have to do this. I really don't mind going with you, I don't."

"Yes you do, Gin. You're just to nice to say it, and that is why you deserve to be happy." Neville stopped and pulled Ginny to her feet. "Most girls here would have said yes to Harry without a second thought about abandoning me. But you – well you would have told Harry no a dozen times, just so that I wouldn't feel any sadness."

Ginny blushed and smiled at the compliment and the pair began to walk back to the school. "Are you sure, Neville? I mean who're you going to go with?" She was biting her lip to keep a beaming smile from erupting. She had a feeling, Neville's confidence wouldn't be able to handle ALL her joy right now.

"Yes I'm sure, and don't worry about me finding someone to go with, I'm sure _some_ girl still doesn't have a date."

A sudden thought hit Ginny. "OH! Neville! I can set you up with a friend if you'd like! She's a Ravenclaw in my year, and she's very pretty." Ginny looked towards Neville eagerly, waiting for him to agree to let her play matchmaker.

"Uh, I guess it couldn't hurt. What's her name?" he asked, looking around as though he expected to see her walking along the ground's as well.

"Luna Lovegood," Ginny said with a smile.

As Neville and Ginny reached the portrait of the Fat Lady, Ginny felt her stomach go into knots. What if he changed his mind, she wondered, what if he had already asked another girl. Her thoughts paralyzed her, and Neville had already walked a few feet into the common room before realizing Ginny wasn't with him anymore.

"Gin?" He asked, coming back out. "You okay?"

She turned to him, fear etched on her face. "What if he's changed his mind?" she asked, horror-struck.

Neville almost laughed until he saw how truly scared Ginny was. He settled for another grin, "I doubt that's happened Ginny," he began. As she opened her mouth again he held up his hand to silence her, "BUT, if something has changed, then you can still go with me."

Ginny relaxed a bit at this, but still felt her stomach knotting and tangling itself continuously. Neville grabbed her arm and led her into a corner of the common room, where he sat her down on a red and comfy armchair. He looked around, curiously, keeping his eyes peeled for the familiar jet black hair.

He saw Ron sitting alone at a table on the far side, building another house out of exploding snap cards and decided to go and ask him where Harry was.

"Oh, yeah, he went on to bed," Ron said, barely paying attention to Neville. "Had a pretty rough day, you know?"

"Yeah," Neville muttered, leaving Ron on his own and heading up to the dormitories, Ginny's curious stare following him.

Reaching the fourth floor landing, Neville pushed open the door to find Harry sitting up in his bed, _Quidditch Through the Ages_ sitting open on his lap.

"Harry," Neville said, getting his friend's attention. "Can you come down to the common room with me? I got you a date to the Yule Ball."

Harry's face looked very confused and even more wary, but, when he thought of how his situation couldn't get any worse, he got up and followed Neville back down the stairs.

_A/N – Read! Review! Tell me I'm great! Tell me I suck! Okay please don't tell me I suck. Just let me know if you think I should continue :)._


	2. To Get You Into My Life

Disclaimer – I don't own Harry Potter nor any of the characters. I make absolutely NO money from this work of fanfiction.

Chapter Two: Got To Get You Into My Life

Ginny sat in the corner of the common room, casting furtive glances toward the boy's dormitory, waiting for Neville to return with Harry. Her hands were shaking, and her heart felt like it was in her throat as she saw Neville suddenly appear at the bottom of the staircase. He flashed a smile toward her and motioned for her to sit at the empty couch in front of the fire.

Thoughts were rushing through Ginny's mind as she shakily stood and moved over to the plush couch. Just before she turned and sat down, she noticed Harry appear just beside Neville, looking around curiously.

"So, Neville," Harry asked slowly, "Where is this mystery date you've got for me?"

Neville smiled mischievously as Harry continued to look around. "Right there," he said, pointing to the back of Ginny's head.

Harry froze as he looked at the striking red hair. He turned to Neville darkly, "Really funny, Neville. Have yourself a good laugh," Harry turned to walk back up to the dormitories when Neville grabbed his arms.

"I wasn't joking, Harry. Now c'mon and sit down," Neville led Harry over to the couch where he sat him down next to Ginny, who was now looking wary.

Harry lightened as he saw Ginny's slightly tear-stained face. She gave him a small smile and he did his best to smile back convincingly.

"Oh Harry, I'm so sorry!" Ginny burst out, tears coming back to her eyes. Harry was blown back.

"What? Why are you sorry, Ginny? It's my fault I asked you so late; you did the right thing, telling me to bugger off." His smile finally reached his eyes as he reached as his arm to rub her shoulder consolingly.

Ginny gave another small smile back, but he and Neville both could tell her heart wasn't in it. They knew she still felt somehow guilty for not having quickly agreed to go to the Ball with Harry.

Neville, sensing she wouldn't feel better until she knew she _would_ be going to the Ball with Harry, decided to launch into a full explanation of why Ginny was now free to go with Harry. He told him how Ginny had first been planning to go with him, but he had decided that she would be better suited to go with Harry.

Realization slowly dawned on Harry as he finally worked out that he would actually be able to go to the Ball with Ginny. A grin filled his face as Neville finally reached the end of his explanation, "and so I got her to wait here while I went and got you. And now – well…. Here we are," Neville finished lamely.

Harry continued to grin as he looked back towards Ginny, a shy smile on her face as she looked at him through the corner of her eye.

"So. Ginny. Er – does this mean that you _do_ want to go to the ball with me?"

Ginny turned to face him, her face burning, "Yes. Harry. I would absolutely _love_ to go to the Yule Ball with you."

Harry grinned stupidly. He finally had a date. Ginny grinned just as stupidly back at him. She finally had a date with Harry Potter.

Neville looked back and forth between Harry and Ginny before suddenly getting to his feet. "Well I, er – I think I'm just going to go and work on my Herbology homework. Bye."

Ginny nor Harry even realized he left, they just kept grinning at each other until a loud _pop_ on the other side of the Common Room made Ginny jump and Harry laugh.

"'S just Fred and George," he said laughing. Ginny saw them in the far corner, playing exploding snap and talking quietly.

"What is it they're up to, do you think?" Ginny asked, not taking her eyes of the pair of them.

"I dunno," Harry said, "Something to do with Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes, I suppose."

Ginny's eyes narrowed suspiciously, "Yeah maybe."

She turned back around and smiled at Harry again. "So… what color are your dress robes?" she asked, trying to ignite a conversation.

"Green, I think, I haven't really looked at them since this summer after your mum bought them. What about you?" Harry looked curiously at Ginny, trying to imagine what she would look like in a dress but no image would come to him.

"Light pink. They're really nice," she said, smiling. "Apparently they were my mum's back way back when, and her mum's before her. They have a cool sort of retro feel."

Harry laughed, seeing Mrs. Weasley in a dress would be stranger than seeing Dobby in one. Of course now that he thought about, he wouldn't be too surprised to find Dobby wearing a dress seeing as how he was in love with the idea of any type of clothes.

Ginny laughed with Harry, "So, Harry," she began mischievously. "Do you know how to dance?" Harry stopped laughing and blushed a bright red.

Putting his head down, he became extremely embarrassed and muttered a quiet, "No."

Ginny, seeing how much her little comment seemed to hurt him felt immediately contrite. "It's okay Harry, I've never learned to dance either. My mum tried to get me to take lessons a couple times, but I hated them so much she stopped forcing me to go."

Harry looked up and smiled again, he could easily picture Ginny and Mrs. Weasley having a row about dance lessons.

_Dance Lessons. _The thought suddenly hit him. He remembered only a week before being pulled aside by McGonagall after Transfiguration. She'd told him that she would be holding lessons all this week for the Champions and their partners. The only problem was that the lessons had started two days ago.

Harry quickly let Ginny in on this piece of remembered information and she flashed him a quick grin. "I'm sure Professor McGonagall won't mind taking us on a bit late if we ask," Ginny said. "All we have to do is explain that we hadn't decided to go to the Ball together until just today, and she'll understand."

Harry agreed. McGonagall, while strict, was extremely fair and understanding. She also wouldn't want to punish Ginny's feet at the Ball just because Harry had missed the first couple of dance classes. Ginny and Harry quickly decided to find McGonagall the next morning and ask her if they could join her dance lessons.

"We can meet up after breakfast and go talk to her together, if you'd like," Harry said.

Ginny nodded, "Yeah. I would like that."

"Okay, then," Harry said, yawning and standing up from the couch. "We'll meet in the Great Hall tomorrow after breakfast. I'm headed to bed. See you in the morning, Ginny." He smiled at her again and turned to go up the boy's dormitory, throwing a quiet "good night" over his shoulder.

"Good night, Harry." Ginny said, closing her eyes and stretching out on the plush couch, a smile seemed to be permanently etched onto her face.

After a few minutes, Ginny got up in a daze, wandered through the Common Room and up the girl's dormitory, muttering quiet goodnights to any brother she past.

Harry, already lying down, drifted off into an easy sleep. His last, happy thought was amazement at how such a horrid day had become so great in less than an hour. Ginny's last, ecstatic thought was also amazement – amazement at how one of her biggest fantasies was finally coming true. She had a date with Harry Potter.

* * *

><p>Harry awoke in the morning feeling very happy about something. It took him a moment to remember what exactly he was so happy about, but as soon as the previous night re-entered his memory, he saw Ginny's smiling face and grinned.<p>

Swinging his legs over his four-poster he grabbed some clothes and went to take a shower. All his roommates, it seemed, were already awake and down at the Great Hall for breakfast. Thinking of breakfast suddenly reminded Harry of his plans with Ginny to see McGonagall and he hurried to take his shower and get dressed.

Ten minutes later, Harry was walking into the Great Hall, his hair still wet from his shower. He spotted Ron and Hermione eating and talking animatedly at the end of the Gryffindor table. He looked farther down the table, searching for another head full of red hair and was quickly rewarded by spotting Ginny half-way down the table, eating porridge and chatting away with her friends. She quickly spotted him as he walked over to Ron and Hermione and smiled at him. Harry flashed a smile back and gave a small wave. Blushing, Ginny waved back and went back to focusing on her porridge a little more intently than was necessary.

Harry, still smiling, sat down beside Ron, grabbed some bacon, eggs, and sausage and began eating.

"Just tell me who you're going with and I'll stop bothering you," Ron was saying.

"No! It isn't any of your business, so _quit_ asking!" Hermione's eyes were narrowed, as if ready to hit Ron if he wasn't quiet.

Harry, sensing trouble, quickly swallowed a mouthful of eggs and said, "I got a date to the Yule Ball."

Ron, his mouth open to say something back to Hermione, snapped it close and turned to stare at him. Hermione just smiled knowingly.

Harry looked at her and rolled his eyes, "She told you didn't she?"

"Well, yes." Hermione said, "She was very excited about it, Harry." Harry just laughed.

Ron was looking back and forth between Harry and Hermione, confused. "I don't get it. Who're you going with?"

Hermione laughed and stood up from the table. "Well since I've already heard the story, I think I'll head to the library. I've got some more research I'd like to do for S.P.E.W." With that she was gone, leaving Ron staring expectantly at Harry.

"So," Ron said, "Who is it?"

"Er – Ginny," Harry said, staring down at his sausages, not daring to look up at Ron. He was surprised, however, when Ron began to laugh hysterically. He looked up, confused, and Ron, seeing Harry's completely serious face, stopped laughing immediately.

"But – No. She said no. I heard her. I was _there._" Ron smiled triumphantly, as though this settled the matter.

"She changed her mind, I suppose," Harry said quietly, really not wanting to go into detail about the previous night. Ron gaped, suddenly over come with a flurry of emotions toward his best friend.

Ron was very happy, of course, that Harry was able to actually _get_ a date, which followed with him being jealous of Harry for having a date, then, as the pieces clicked together, he was furious with Harry for having Ginny, Ron's only sister, as his date. It took a few minutes but Ron finally settled on the mindset of trying to ignore the last part, and just be happy that Harry was able to get a date. It wasn't as if they were dating, he reasoned, and he didn't really want another find with Harry just because he was taking his sister to a Ball. In fact, he admitted to himself, he'd rather Harry take her than some other student that Ron didn't know.

Harry was looking at Ron warily, watching the different emotions cross his face. He was reminded of the times when Uncle Vernon would visibly change colors when overcome with emotion and he almost laughed. Finally Ron re-opened his eyes and gave a small grimace toward Harry.

"So you have a date," he began, "Guess that just leaves me as the only one without one." Ron stabbed at a sausage bitterly.

Harry, feeling an overwhelming desire to do something nice for Ron, looked up and down the table. He spotted Parvati and Lavender sitting only a few seats from where Hermione sat previously. He nudged Ron in the side.

"Ow! What the hell was that for?" Ron rubbed his side looking over at Harry. Harry didn't say anything immediately but just motioned toward the girls sitting a few feet down from them.

"You should ask out Lavender or Parvati, Ron."

Ron stared at him incredulously. "What! Are you insane? They wouldn't want to go to the Ball with me," he said, but he was now eyeing the girls, a look of wonder on his face.

"You'll never know if you don't ask," Harry said wisely, and he spotted Ginny stand up with her friends. He rushed to finish his eggs as Ron continued to stare at the girls. Moments later Ginny was standing just behind them. Harry turned to her and smiled widely. She grinned back.

"You ready to go talk with McGonagall, then?" He asked. Ron spun around and stared at Ginny, his eyes narrowing.

"What're you two going to see McGonagall for?" Ron asked suspiciously.

Ginny nodded, ignoring Ron's questions and glares.

Harry however, stood up and said, "Dance lessons. But you need to focus less on our plans and more on the two girls staring at you right now." Harry smiled as Ron spun back around and looked Parvati and Lavender who were looking at him and giggling. They both waved shyly, and he grinned stupidly, waving back.

Harry and Ginny slipped out of the Great Hall without speaking another word to Ron. They walked up the Grand Staircase to Professor McGonagall's office, chatting and laughing about Ron.

_A/N – Well that's another chapter done I do declare. Thanks for all the awesome reviews on my last chapter, and please give me just as many for this one… Heck, you can even give me more if you'd like. Also, I AM looking for a beta reader, so if you have experience and you're interested leave a comment in your review and I'll send you my email address. Thanks again and remember, the more you review, the more I'm motivated to update. _


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